Peggy Fikac: Sex and politics

When former state comptroller John Sharp met with reporters on the tax overhaul in which he played a leading role, talk turned to politics.

And sex.

“Last chance. I’m going into oblivion again. Forever,” said Sharp, a Democrat pulled from private life as principal in a tax-consulting firm back into the law-devising business by Republican Gov. Rick Perry.

Sharp, a former lawmaker and former member of the Texas Railroad Commission, ran twice unsuccessfully for lieutenant governor  once against Perry, and once against GOP Lt. Gov. David Dewhurst.

Asked if he might get back into the political game, Sharp said, “”I just don’t see it in the cards. And you sure as heck woudln’t do somethihg like this if that was your plan. I mean, who did I make happy? Oh, the Democrats. They’re happy. Yeah. Helped Perry.”

And on the other side of the aisle, a number of Republicans including Houston conservative Steven Hotze despise the tax overhaul. “Republicans never  I mean Hotze? Yeah, he wants me,” Sharp said, laughing.

He didn’ t leave the topic there, though.

“But you never, I mean you never, get it out of your system,” Sharp said. “It’s kind of like sex. you know. Politics and sex are a lot alike … Once you’ve experienced either one of them, you don’t usually say, ‘OK, been there, done that. Let’s go do something else.'”